Taiwanese Stir-Fry Noodles
TikTok star Tiffy Chen shares her grandmother's recipe for chao mi fen – Taiwanese stir-fried noodles.
Ingredients
- 300 g rice vermicelli noodles
- 1½ tsp olive oil
- 450 g cabbage (1 large cabbage), sliced
- 1 cup Chinese celery cut into 2-in (5-cm) pieces
- ½ cup thinly sliced carrot
- 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
- ½ cup sliced fresh black fungus
- ¼ cup light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
- 2½ cups water approx
- 1 tbsp shallot oil see note
- 1 tbsp fried shallots see note
- fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Instructions
- In bowl, cover noodles with cold water and soak for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, celery, carrots, mushrooms and black fungus. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms start to sweat, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper and sugar. Add water and bring to a simmer. Add noodles and, using chopsticks, loosen them to prevent breaking. Mix to evenly coat in the sauce.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. If noodles are still firm, add more water, 1 tbsp at a time, until they’re fully cooked. Gently stir in shallot oil and fried shallots.
- Transfer to large serving plate and garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately.
Notes
To make fried shallots, thinly slice 450 g of shallots (about 25 shallots) crosswise. Heat 4 cups of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 325°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Fry shallots ½ cup at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, until they start to brown and crisp. Keep an eye on them because they cook quickly and can easily burn. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to a paper-towel-lined plate. Let cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 month. Yields 3 cups.
Don’t throw away the oil you use to fry the shallots! Store it in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. It’s super fragrant and delicious. Drizzle it over steamed vegetables, and they will instantly be packed with flavour.